Employer's Offset from PTD Liability Not Affected by Attorney Fee Award

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that an employer's offset to its liability for permanent total disability benefits could not be reduced to account for the fee award that the worker's attorney had secured. Case: Nitcher v. Northshore Regional Medical Center, No. 2014 CA 1291, 09/18/2015, published. Facts: Stephanie Nitcher worker as a respiratory therapist at the Northshore Regional Medical Center. She secured an award of workers' compensation benefits in 2012, which included an order for Northshore to pay her $86,871.84 in past due indemnity benefits, $13,181.13 in interes...